The green building certification system LEED is gaining popularity, but some wonder if its success will last.
"With climate-change concerns growing, the program is on everyone's radar. After all, buildings use about 70 percent of the electricity produced in the United States, more than half of which is generated by coal, the dirtiest fuel and worst contributor to global warming. In the absence of any substantial federal effort, LEED has almost by default become the primary way American builders tackle our daunting environmental challenges."
"And yet the program has only certified about a thousand buildings since its inception in 2000. It's a tiny accomplishment compared to the 1.4 million homes that will start construction in 2007-a slow year. But LEED numbers are growing rapidly (see map). According to Scot Horst, chair of USGBC's LEED steering committee, there are 40,000 LEED-accredited professionals. "That suggests the level of market transformation." Dozens of municipalities now either encourage or require certification for building projects. Companies that did not even know what the acronym stood for a year ago now clamor for a Platinum rating."
FULL STORY: Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era?
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Amtrak Takes Lead on Texas Central Rail
The high-speed rail project isn’t a done deal, but if it moves forward, trains could begin operating in 2030.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.